While I don’t recommend sleep training before a baby is 18 weeks old, there are lots of ways you can gently support your baby to learn independent sleep and develop healthy sleep habits. The key is to practice little and often.

As every baby is different, it is important to learn over time what sleepy cues your baby shows. It can take a little bit of time to figure them all out as some can be quite subtle. Following age appropriate wake windows is also going to ensure your baby is getting the sleep they need when they need it, avoiding common problems like over tiredness. When a baby starts getting over-tired, their body releases Cortisol, which acts a bit like adrenalin with the ‘fight or flight’ response. Cortisol makes it much harder for a baby to fall asleep, which is why an overtired baby is so much harder to get to sleep, it can cause them a lot of frustration hence the crying and distress.

Use my helpful Sleep Needs Chart - click here.